Staple



July 16, 1935. W, SORENSQN 2,008,086

STAPLE Filed Sept. 27, 1954 ATTORNEY Patented July 16, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,008,086 s'rArLi:

Application September 27, 1934, Serial No. '145,652

6 Claims.

by Charles B. Goodstein, described in Patent No.

1,910,688 issued May 23, 1933, my invention being adaptable for use in the machine covered by Patent No. 1,945,377 issued on January 30, 1934 to Emanuel R. Posnack, employing the process invented by Charles B. Goodstein and described in Patent No. 1,868,100 issued to him on July 19, 1932.

The above-referred-to staple of Patent No.-

1,910,688 can be made to penetrate sheets of any thickness in commercial use, by suitable dimensional design; but when a given size of staple is determined upon, for a predetermined penetration or depth of clench, the machine employed for driving the staple is generally adapted to operably accommodate a staple of only or substantially that size, so that sheets of only a relatively small range of thicknesses can be stapled thereby. With the present invention, however, the same machine can be employed to secure together sheets of greater thicknesses than was heretofore possible, as well as thinner sheets, as my new form of staple is so formed that it will penetrate much deeper and form a through clench where a staple of the type covered by said Patent No. 1,910,688, of approxivmately the same size and used in the same machine, would form a relatively shallow or blind stitch. The same machine could hence be made applicable to a relatively wide range of sheet thicknesses, inasmuch as it can accommodate both the old form of staple as well as the new one constituting this invention, without any adjusting operations.

Further objects of my invention are to obtain, with a staple of the above-described class, a better clench with greater holding power, and to eiect a complete sealing of the holes formed in the upper sheet by the penetration of the staple.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear from the drawing and the description hereinafter given. f

Referring to the drawing,

Figure 1 illustrates a strip of staples of the type constituting this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the staples of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows the position of the staple before penetrating two corrugated sheets to be secured together, the driving plunger being shown by dotdash lines.

Figure 4 shows the staple immediately after penetrating the uppermost layer of material.

Figure 5 shows the staple further in the work. the bottom of the staple contacting with retractible anvil attached to the driving machine,this view also illustratingby dot-dash lines, a further position of the staple during the flattening out of the top thereof.

Figure 6 shows the staple in the work before the withdrawing of the anvil.

Figure 7 shows the nal position and shape of the fully clenched staple forming a through stitch.

Figure 8 shows the final position and shape of the fully clenched staple forming a blind stitch.

Figure 9 shows a slight modification of my invention illustrating a flatter type of indenture at the top of the staple.

Figure 10 shows the staple supported in a machine by the staple-carrying member thereof, and

Figure 11 shows the staple supported by another type of staple carrier.

In the drawing, the staple I5 contains the prong-connecting 'portion I6 with an indenture I'I therein, preferably V-shaped. The two downwardly extending prong members I8 and I9 each comprise two angularly disposed straight or substantially straight portions 20 and 2I, and 22 and 23 respectively, the upper of these straight portions 20 and 22 extending preferably outwardly and the lower ones 2I and 23 extending inwardly. The said lower portions 2I and 23 are shorter than the upper ones, and preferably form a greater inclination towards the horizontal than the corresponding sides 24 and 25 of the V-shaped indenture. It will be noted that the junctures 26 and 2l of said angularly disposed portions are in the same horizontal plane, and that the free ends 26a and 21a are each preferably in substantially the same vertical plane as the corresponding ends or uppermost points 28 and 29 of the connecting portion I6. r

It is apparent Ithat inasmuch as the upper straight portions 20 and 22 are angularly disposed in an outward direction, the distance between the junctures 26 and 21 is greater than the distance across the tops 28 and 29 of the connecting portion. For reasons to be hereinafter given, it is preferable that the linear length of the top portion of the staple, that is of the connecting portion I6, be no less than the distance between the junctures 26 and 21.

In the operation of this device, the staple is placed in a suitable stapling machine containing a driving plunger 30. Upon the downward movement of said plunger, vthe staple will be driven down directly towards the material to be stapled, the continued movement of the plunger causing the staple to penetrate the material without any deformation or bending until the intermediate portion or lowermost point 3| of the indenture contacts with the anvil 32. Upon a continuation of pressure by the plunger applied to the points 28 and 29 of the staple, there will be a flattening out of the prong-connecting portion |6 and a consequent inward movement of the prongs I8 and I9 until the position shown in Figure 6 is reached. The anvil is then withdrawn, preferably by suitable automatic mechanism in the driving machine, after which the staple assumes the iinal position shown in Figure '7 to form a closed stitch.

It has been found in the operation of this staple that there is practically no appreciable inward or outward deflection of the prongs I8 and I9 during the downward drive of the plunger until contact is made with the lanvil 32. The lower legs 2| and 23 effect a ready penetration of the material due to their pointed free ends 26 and 21 and the shortness of these legs which enable them to break up the paper easily upon a direct downward drive. Any tendency towards inward deiiection due to the angular disposition of these lower legs is offset by the outward slope of the upper straight portions 20 and 22 of the prongs. Furthermore, the deflecting tendency of the prongs is reduced to a considerable extent by the fact that the inclination of each of the legs 2| and 23 is not too great, and because the uppermost points of the staple 28 and 29 are in substantially the same vertical plane as the free ends 26a and 21a. When this staple is applied particularly to corrugated board, any pressure applied to the prongs that might cause ann inward deiiection thereof upon the instant of penetration, will be released upon a further downward movement of the staple due to the springy or resilient nature of the wire of which the staple is composed, and there will therefore be a return of the prongs to their original positions after said first penetration, in this way preventing a continuous bending etl'ect.

Inasmuch as the upper portions 20 and 22 of the prongs are substantially straight and relatively long, they will move downwardly to a maximum degree oi' penetration into the material being stapled before any inward deiection takes place. Only when the indenture strikes the anvil 32, and not before that point is reached, will the inward deiiection and permanent deformation of the staple occur. By that time the points of the staple will have reached their lowermost position, so that upon a closing of the staple due to the attening of the V under the action of the plunger, a relatively deep stitch will be formed. Where a staple of the type described in Patent No. 1,910,688 is employed in the same machine, a lesser penetration is eiected and a blind stitch obtained where a through stitch would be produced with my newly invented staple,-this being due to the fact that in the old staple, an inward deection takes place sooner because of the arcuate form of the prongs. It is of course apparent that this new staple can also be used to produce a blind stitch such as is shown in Figure 8 where it is applied to relatively thick sheets, or where the staple itself is made smaller.

It will be noted that due to the angular disposition of the lower legs 2| and 23, holes 33 and 34 are formed in the upper layer of board being stapled, the distance between the extreme ends of these holes being equal to the distance between the Junctures 26 and 21. By making the prongconnecting portion |6 of such linear length that when flattened out it will at least equal the distance between the junctures 26 and 21, it is apparent that the holes caused by the penetration of the staple will be completely sealed up by the exposed top portion of the staple.

It should further be noted that the lower legs 2| and 23 are at a greater inclination towards the horizontal than the sides 24 and 25 respectively of the V-shaped indenture. This arrangement is such that upon the completion of the clench as shown in Figures 6 and '7, the legs 2| and 23 are upwardly bent, thereby forming a clench of greater holding power.

Although the staple in its preferred form is shown to have a V-shaped indenture, any other suitable form of indenture can be employed within the contemplation of this invention, such as the relatively iiat indenture of Figure 9 or a U- shaped indentureor instead of an indenture, a humped top can be used,-the outstanding characteristics of the staple being the angularly disposed straight portions of the prongs as shown in the drawing and as above described.

The staple |5 is so formed that it can readily iit upon a staple-supporting member 35 shown in Figure 10, which can also be adapted to support the form of staple described in the said Patent No. 1,910,688, so that one stapling machine can be adapted to accommodate both forms of staples. Another supporting means, in a stapling machine, for this form of staple is illustrated in Figure 11 which shows two parallel bars 36 and 31 underlying the top bends of the staple and the bar 38 positioned within the indenture.

This invention is not limited to the speclnc forms herein described, as other embodiments thereof can be employed within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A staple havingprong members comprising two angularly disposed straight portions. and a connecting portion with an indenture intermediate the prong members, the free end oi' each prong being in substantially the same vertical plane as the corresponding end of the connecting portion.

2. A staple comprising a prong-connecting portion with an indenture therein, and downwardly extending prong members each comprising two angularly disposed straight portions, the upper of said portions extending outwardly and the lower inwardly, the free ends of the prongs being in substantially the same vertical planes as the corresponding uppermost points ot the prong-connecting portion.

3. A staple comprising a prong connecting portion with a substantially V-shaped indenture therein, and downwardly extending prong members each comprising two angularly disposed straight portions, the upper of each of said portions extending outwardly and the lower inwardly and at a greater inclination towards the horizontal than the corresponding side of said V- shaped indenture.

4. A staple comprising a prong-connecting portion with an indenture therein, and downwardly extending prong members each comprising two angularly disposed straight portions, the upper of said portions extending outwardly and the lower inwardly, the linear length of said connecting portion being no less than the distance between the junctures of said angularly disposed portions oi' the prong members.

5. A staple comprising a prong connecting por..

6. A staple comprising a prong-connecting portion shaped to extend out of the plane of its junctures with the prongs, the prongs each comprising two angularly disposed portions, the junctures intermediate said angularly disposed portions being in the same horizontal plane.

WENDEU. L. soRENsoN. 

